Advice From an Engineer..Also, More Thoughts from Yesterday..

I want to complete the thoughts I began yesterday with my "Riding Out the Storm" post.

First, to listeners of Internet radio: The landscape is about to change. I don't know how things will play out, but this is not one of those "The sky is falling" skits. RIAA, the CRB and SoundExchange
are about to put us all under. It's just a matter of time.

In the March 14 edition of the Boston Globe, Live365.com CEO Mark Lam is quoted as saying, "As the new law stands, we are out."

Translation: If Live365 closes, it's 10,000 stations are gone. And that's just ONE streaming provider. LoudCity? "We'll be gone in a heartbeat," says the managing partner. And if you have a favorite local station that streams? In all likelihood..gone.

In its place..more of what you get now on your AM and FM stations.

And what's behind all this? Control. Control of what you hear. If you hear Britney Spears more, maybe you'll buy her stuff.

Indie artists that aren't on AM/FM now? Bummer..they won't get played.

Earlier this week, I asked for some advice from..not programmers..but radio engineers. The people who actually know what they are talking about.

Frank wrote: "I'm pulling my stream. When my contract runs out on my Internet station, it's all over. I'm getting out and concentrating on my over the air station."

Bob, who runs a consulting engineering business, had this to say: "Alan, if I were you, I'd put my Part 15 station back on the air and get everything ready for the hopeful day that LPAM is put on the books, and stations are licensed and put on the air." He went on to share some information off hos website and Yahoo group that I found helpful.

I believe WJJD has had a really good run. I've loved every minute of it. But I also believe the
"streaming" of WJJD is likely to cease later this year.

The business model for webcasters as small as WJJD does not work. It's a lose/lose situation.
Everyone loses. The listeners, the indie artists and the webcasters.

As for me, if they let this stand: NO MORE music purchases. Zero. Nada. And I assure you, I've bought plenty of music in my lifetime!!

**SIGH**All I wanted to do was broadcast quality radio **SIGH**